Country music firebrand Miranda Lambert has written plenty of her own material, including “Me and Charlie Talkin’”, “Kerosene”, and “Only Prettier.” However, one of her signature hits, 2015’s “Little Red Wagon,” did not come from Lambert’s own mind. That song was originally written and recorded by Oklahoma singer-songwriter Audra Mae, born on this day (Feb. 20) in 1984—and she’s got a pretty impressive resume of her own.
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“Oh, That Makes Sense”: The Hollywood Star Who Shares Audra Mae’s DNA
Raised in Oklahoma City, Audra Mae Butts is the great-great nice of Wizard of Oz star Judy Garland. “When people find that out, they’re like, ‘Oh, that makes sense,’ ” Mae told Out magazine in 2014. “When I had a smart mouth, my mom would say, ‘You’re just like Judy — a smart a–.’ And when I would do really well on stage, my grandfather would tell me, ‘I haven’t seen that since I saw Judy do her thing.’”
Growing up immersed in singing, piano, and guitar, she began writing her own songs at 17. And as far as she’s concerned, all songwriters fall into one of two categories: “The kind that write for money and those that write because it’s fun,” she said.
Perhaps Mae fit a bit too neatly into the latter category. At age 19, she was kicked out of Middle Tennessee State University for writing songs instead of going to class. With just $20 to her name, she headed to Los Angeles, where she got her feet wet on the local club scene. After three-and-a-half years, Mae signed with Warner Chappell. She released her first full-length album, The Happiest Lamb, in 2010.
Crossing Genre Lines
Alongside Joe Ginsberg, Audra Mae co-wrote a song called “Little Red Wagon,” which she recorded for her 2012 sophomore album Audra Mae and the Almighty Sound. When award-winning country singer Miranda Lambert heard it, she was smitten.
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“When I heard it, I thought, ‘Oh god. This girl is ridiculous,’” Lambert said. “So I stalked her down. We’re the same age, and she’s from Oklahoma. I asked her point blank: ‘What’s your plan for ‘Little Red Wagon’? Can I cut it? Can I even try to be a hair on the a– of how you did it?’”
With Mae’s blessing, Lambert recorded “Little Red Wagon” for her 2014 album Platinum. Released in January 2015, it reached No. 5 on the hot country songs chart.
Additionally, Audra Mae has written songs for a wide array of artists, including Avicii, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Little Big Town.
Featured image by Michael Campanella/Redferns
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